I Can't Love You
by HeartbreakDevil
Summary: Dwayne becomes infatuated with a mortal but experiences in the past may be enough to tear them apart. This was done while I had writter's block for my others fics. Reviews make me update...
1. Chapter 1

_To the Surprise of Miss Louise _was deafening to Dwayne's heightened sense of hearing and the stench of food and mingling of human scents assaulted his nose. But he suffered through it to stay close to David. The need to protect the blonde leader overpowered everything else. Besides that it was a welcome break to be around mortals and not have them scream or tremble in fear.

Dwayne was relieved when they were kicked off the carousel, the loud screams of joy and excitement were close to splitting his head, but he desperately wanted to wrap his hands around the security guard's throat for even touching David. He walked with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, dreaming of the moment he could sink his fangs into the man.

With Paul and Marco whooping and hollering every step of the way to Max's video store, Dwayne hung back slightly so he could get small reprieve from the constant noise. As they walked the brunette caught sight of a girl he had never seen before. He couldn't say for sure why he stopped and stared at the girl as she said upon an empty bench by the beach but he did. The vampire was staring so intently at her that he didn't realize that the others were swiftly drifting away with the sea of people. All he could focus on was her even though she had tossed her long brown hair to one side so her profile was hidden.

Paul instinctively knew something was missing. Looking around, the blonde slung his arm around Marco's shoulder's and said, "Dwayne's gone M.I.A.."

Marco stopped and looked around to see that Dwayne was indeed missing. David, hearing that Paul and Marco had gone quiet, stopped as well and gave them a questioning glance.

"Dwayne's missing." Marko said as he looked around for the tall brunette.

It only took them a second to spot the missing vampire in the crowd. He was still as a statue in the sea of people, staring at something in the throng. They made their way to his side, people crushing together to get out their way. Paul threw his arm over Dwayne's shoulder but the brunette was still stuck in his trance.

"What are you looking at?" Marco asked, standing on his toes to try and follow Dwayne's line of sight.

When he didn't answer Paul wave a hand in front of his face and jostled him with the arm he had around his shoulders. "Hello? Earth to Dwayne."

"What?" Dwayne shook his as if to clear his mind. He glanced briefly at Paul and Marco but quickly returned his gaze to the girl.

Paul followed the path of Dwayne's sight and saw a girl sitting at the bench, bent over a notebook and the pencil in her hand flying across the page.

"Dwayne." David called his name in that cool and quiet voice. The blonde looked as well and soon they were all looking at the girl.

"You ok, bud?" Paul asked.

"Fine." Dwayne replied as he moved out from beneath his friend's arm and began making his way to the girl. "I'll meet you guys back at the cave."

"_Going to feed?"_ David asked telepathically.

"_No, it's not like that at all."_ Dwayne replied, not really paying attention as he made his way through the crowd.

"_Be careful."_ David warned, lighting a cigarette. _"You remember don't you?"_

"_Yes, I remember."_ Dwayne sat on the bench beside the object of his attentions, unsure of how he should go about this. It had been years since he last initiated a conversation with a mortal without the intention to feed off them later.

"Hi" The girl said first as she glanced up at him shyly with large almond eyes.

"Hi." He said in turn. "Please, don't stop writing on my account." He said softly as she put her notebook and pencil in a small black backpack.

"I just finished anyway." She raked her hair back away from her face with one hand, the metal bracelets on her wrists jingling.

"Do you mind if I asked what you were writing?" He asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and turned his head so he could look at her.

"Not at all." She smiled brightly. "It's a story I've been working on. Well, it's more like a novel at this point."

"Really? It must be very good then." Dwayne flashed a smile in return.

"Maybe. I don't think so but then again I wrote it so, of course, I'd think it could be better." She shrugged slightly.

"I'm sure it's perfect. My name is Dwayne by the way." He said holding out a hand.

"My name is Tristan but everyone calls me Tris." She took the hand he offered and shook it. "Oh wow, your hands are freezing."

"Sorry 'bout that." He withdrew his hand away from her tender grasp and an empty feeling settled upon him. "So, I haven't seen you before. Did you just move here?"

Tris hugged her knees to her chest, the corner of her mouth turned up in a smile. "Are you here all the time so you can tell who lives here or not?"

"Pretty much." Dwayne replied with a laugh.

"Well, then yes. I just moved here yesterday with my uncle."

Dwayne nodded to show he had heard and turn to look at something else besides looking at her. They sat in silence for awhile, each with their own private thoughts. Even though the vampire was staring out at the water he could still see her with his mind's eye. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch the mocha skin or run his fingers through the long brown hair with its small, loose curls.

"Damn it." Tris muttered under her breath. She rose quickly to her feet, dusted off her faded jeans, and grabbed her backpack from the ground beside her.

"What is it?" Dwayne leapt to his feet beside her.

"Whoa, bud." She jumped back a foot and looked up at Dwayne with raised eyebrows. "You're a lot bigger when you're standing."

Smiling sheepishly, Dwayne sat back down. "Yeah, I know. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." She laughed softly. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you but I have to hurry up and get home or I'm in trouble."

"You have a curfew or something? How old are you?"

"Boy, you ask a lot of questions. No, it's not a curfew exactly. My uncle just likes me to be home around a certain time or he freaks. And I'm eighteen." She said in a rush as she pressed through the crowd.

"I could give you a ride on my bike if you want." The vampire offered, staying beside her so that when people saw him they moved out of their way.

"I don't know. I mean I just met you." Tris bit her lip nervously and glanced at her watch again.

"I'll take the main roads. Promise." Dwayne glanced at her hopefully. He hoped she would say yes. He needed her close to him, feel her arms wrap around his torso.

"Well… alright." She said hesitantly. "We just moved into the old Parish house over by the lighthouse. You know where that is?"

"I should hope so, I live close by." Dwayne led her to where he parked his bike.

"Oh no, please don't." She said quickly when he offered her his jacket after noting she wore only a black tank top. "You don't even have a shirt."

"And you have a tank top on. Trust me, I'll be fine." He laughed.

Tris took the leather jacket reluctantly and climbed on the bike behind Dwayne, her hands clasped over his abdomen. Sand was sprayed like rain behind them as they raced over the beach toward her house, keeping to the main roads like Dwayne promised. Tristan laughed loudly as the wind whipped her hair out behind her like a flag.

"That was amazing." Tris exclaimed as Dwayne pulled up in front of her house. She went to give back his jacket but he put a hand over hers to stop her.

"How about you give it back tomorrow?" He asked with a sly smile.

"I think I'd like that." She said with a smile as she hugged the jacket, four sizes too big, close to her body.

The vampire grinned. "I work days so how about I pick you up around nine?"

"Sure."

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow night then. Goodnight, Tris."

Dwayne whooped with joy as he rode down the empty street. Every time he closed his eyes he could see her. He remembered the every movement she had made that night from the way she casually tucked her hair behind her ear to the way she cocked her head slightly to the left when she listened intently or smile softly. He loved the way the faint scent of almonds and cherries clung to her mocha skin and the way her slender hand fit in his. He didn't think he could wait until tomorrow night to see her again.


	2. Chapter 2

Dwayne parked his bike in front of the cave, less than a mile from where Trisan lived, but instead of going in he took off in a gust of wind, flying as fast as he could until he reached a tree in direct view of Tris's bedroom window. He sat on a thick branch high in the tree, one foot placed firmly on the branch with his knee drawn halfway up to his chest while the other swung lazily back and forth beneath. The bark was rough against the bare skin of his back but it barely registered. All his focus was on the girl in her room.

Tris was sleeping soundly, slumped over at a small mahogany desk, her head resting on her left arm and the pencil in her hand still poised over the notebook he had seen earlier. With a small smile, Dwayne leaned forward and, using the foot he had firmly placed on the tree, he leapt out into the night air. He slowed slightly to grasp the window sill and ease himself into the open window. The harsh yellow light that filled the room hurt his eyes so that he first shut it off and then took the pencil from Tris's limp grasp. Carefully and gently picking her up, Dwayne carried her over to her bed with her head resting in the crook of his neck, her breath warm against his neck. After making sure that she was comfortable he passed by the desk, about to make his exit when he saw his jacket draped carefully over the back of the chair and a smile appeared on his face. The smile was still on his face even as he flew into the cave, a feeling of high coursing through his system that no drug could produce.

Before he even entered the cave the vampire could hear Paul and Marko yelling and laughing with mindless joy. When he walked in Paul had Marko in a headlock but as soon as he saw Dwayne he quickly released him to pound the brunette on the back.

"So," Paul said. "How'd she taste? Was she good?"

"I wouldn't know. " Dwayne said, the broad smile softened on his lips and he gazed at the broken chandelier that rested in the center of their home but he didn't really see it.

Paul's jaw dropped when he saw the expression on Dwayne's face. "No way." He said in a quiet breath. "She's not…is she?"

"I'm not sure." Dwayne sighed and dropped back onto the dusty couch with the torn sheets to cover it, his feet resting on the arm rest. "I don't know how she feels."

"You know what happened to James, don't you?" Paul asked in a quiet, uncharacteristically quiet voice.

"He knows." David answered for him. He was looking at them all from his seat on the wheelchair; twisted so one leg was thrown over the arm and one arm draped over the back. "We were there."

Marko had been silently during the conversation, trying to fix his hair after Paul's headlock but he couldn't resist asking, "Who's James?"

"A vampire." Dwayne said solemnly. He snapped out of his trance-like state and rejoined the conversation with his full attention.

"He was a friend and a damn good vampire." David added as he lit a cigarette and placed it between his lips. "Poor son of a bitch found his mate."

"Mate?" Marko asked.

"Everyone has a mate, one they're supposed to be with. Being supernatural we feel the pull more than mortals. They can love different people and never find their mate even if they're out there but we can only have that one person. Hell, we live so long most of our mates are either dead or haven't been born yet."

"But what happened to James?" Marko moved Dwayne's feet so he could hop up on the arm of the couch.

"He found his mate and died." Paul answered, pantomiming a blade cutting across his throat.

"How?"

"It's hard to be immortal, find someone who's almost literally your other half, and know they're going to die." David answered.

"He turned her." Dwayne finished. "Made her one of us. But one night he was with us and she hadn't fed yet."

"So she went alone. He wanted to be with her but she told him to go with us." David paused and took a long drag from his cigarette before continuing. "Vampire Hunters got her. It was awful. One moment he's laughing and the next he's trembling and losing his mind. He screamed like a banshee and just flew off."

Dwayne's face darkened with a scowl as he finished. "We found him with her body, blood everywhere. We tried to get him to come with us but he wouldn't move. We even tried to physically move him but he wouldn't move. It was as if he was rooted to the spot, he wouldn't let go of her body. The sun was coming up so we had to go. We came back the next night to find police tape all over the place but there was nothing but ash and blood left."

There was silence for a moment before David rose to his feet, extinguished the cig beneath the heel of his boot, and looked at Dwayne with a steady gaze. "I hope you get what you want. You deserve it."

"I hope so too, bud." Paul tossed an old picture frame at him playfully to lighten the mood and dodged it when the other vampire threw it back before following David to the place where they slept.

The sun was coming up; he could feel it in the way his body seemed suddenly drained of energy but he resisted the urge to close his eyes and drift away and instead studied Marko who had his knees drawn to his chest and was staring off into space.

"How do you know?" The blonde asked suddenly. "How do you know if your mate is dead, alive, or yet to be born?"

"You would know if they were dead; you'd feel empty. For mortals their mates are alive though because of circumstances they may have died. That's why it's so easy for them to move on. For vampires we have no way of knowing. We just keep looking with this feeling of being incomplete until we find them." Dwayne answered.

"When you were with her did you feel incomplete?"

"No." The tall vampire replied immediately and without needing to think of it.

Marko nodded. "Then she's the one. She's your mate."

A grin threatened to split Dwayne's face. "Yeah, she is."

He watched Marko follow Paul and David's footsteps into their sleeping area and the grin slowly faded as he remembered James holding his beloved's body with a blank, haunted look etched onto his face. The vampire wondered if he could handle something like that happening to Tris. Maybe it would be better to let go and wait for the emptiness rather than feel a blow so sharp it resonated deep down into the core of one's soul and shattered the fragile sanity, making a person forget who they were before they ever met that person. But then could he deny the joy he felt when he simply touched her hand or saw her smile? Could he push away the only person that could make him feel complete? He could lose his mate of his own freewill or he could turn her, if that was her choice, and live moment to moment fearing what could happen to the both of them.

* * *

Tris woke sometime later in the evening, arching her back like a cat while still laying down and noted for once she had fallen asleep in her bed rather than on the straight-backed wooden chair at her desk. She sat up quickly and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her mouth twisted in a frown when she saw she had left the window open from last night. After quickly shutting the window, Tris padded to the bathroom to clean up. A toothbrush still dangling from her mouth, she stepped into her uncle's room. His room was neat and clean, product of a strict military background, unlike her own and had nothing in it but a bed and dresser. Seeing his work shoes gone; a clear sign he had gone to work, she padded back into the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later to return to her room, kick aside a few fallen notebooks, and change into a different pair of faded jeans from the ones she had worn the night before and a band tee. She knew it was cool out so she took her uncle's worn, dark grey college hoodie along with Dwayne's leather jacket with her before leaping down the stair like a gazelle.

Before heading outside, she slipped on the hoodie and leather jacket and hugged both tightly to her body for warmth, telling herself she would take a quick walk before coming back to meet Dwayne.

By the time she made it to the boardwalk the sky had darkened to a dull, lifeless grey color and the beach and boardwalk was beginning to crowd with locals. Tris turned on her heel before she could get stuck in the crowd, hoping to make it back in time to catch Dwayne when she ran into two bikers. She muttered an apology and brushed past them only to find they were following close behind.

"Can I help you?" She asked in a dangerously calm voice, turning around to look them each in the eye. As she did, her hand slipped into the front pocket of her jeans to finger the Italian switchblade with its ivory handle her father had given her the year before he died.

"Maybe you can." One said with a leer, his green eyes glinting with excitement as he reached out with one greased stained hand to touch her face.

Tristan cringed away from his touch and twisted back as the other biker tried to grab her arm. The knife forgotten, she slapped him hard enough so that he staggered back a few steps.

"Grab her, Sticky." The one she had slapped cried out.

The one named Sticky reached out for her but she jumped back, this time drawing the knife from her pocket, the blade gleaming in the dim light from the stores that held people too far away to hear any cries for help.

"Look, Warren." Sticky said to his green-eyed partner. "Things just got a lot more interesting."

They both pulled out their stop blades, taking out the blades with a skillful flick of their thumbs.

"Stay away from me." Tris warned, holding the blade chest level.

The bikers split up and backed her into the side of an old abandoned store. The one, Sticky; with his tangle of dirty blonde hair, stepped to her right, distracting her so his counterpart, Warren, could knock the knife from her hand. The blade clattered to the ground just as she turned suddenly in a reflexive attempt to attack and ultimately twisted her ankle. With a small cry and her heart hammering in the prison of her chest, Tristan curled in a ball as the two bikers lunged for her but she never felt the cut of their blade or their hands on her body. She was so frightened she never even noticed the roar of motorcycles.


	3. Chapter 3

The roar of the motorcycle was almost unbearably loud to Dwayne's ears but he loved the feel of the wind whipping through his hair and the fact that it was akin to flying yet he could still blend in with the mortals. The sand sprayed behind them as they raced for the boardwalk, laughing and cheering like the devils they were.

Just a quick feed was all Dwayne wanted before it was time to meet Tris but as soon as he got close to the boardwalk to try and find his next victim he knew something was wrong. He could feel it reverberating in his core like a single warning peal of a bell from far off. Stopping his motorcycle, the vampire lifted his head to look around as he could find the source of his discomfort that way. The others stopped a short distance away and turned quickly to join him.

"Dude, you really have to stop doing that." Paul grinned and ran a hand through his wild hair. "You keep disappearing on us. It's starting to freak me out."

"What is it?" David asked in his calm voice, noting the tension in Dwayne's bare shoulders and the way he looked around anxiously.

"I don't know." Dwayne said as he revved his engine. He may not know exactly what it was but he was getting a sense of where it was coming from and he intended to follow the faint pull.

"Guess we're following you then." Paul said with a sigh and revved his engine as well.

Dwayne raced down the beach toward the other end of the boardwalk, far from their usual hangout spots, and his anxiety mounted as the sudden thought occurred to him that it could only be one thing causing him to feel this way; Tris. He knew it had to be her but if he kept going it would only strengthen the connection between them; it would be as if he were tying the knot. He considered turning around and repressing these feelings until they completely disappeared but as soon as the thought arose he crushed it. Something was wrong and if something happened to Tris he would never forgive himself.

He saw them, two bikers, backing Tris against the wall of an old abandoned building, all three of them brandishing knives. He saw one of them knock the blade from her hand and heard her quiet cry out as she fell to the ground, covering her head with her arms to protect herself.

His motorcycle was his most prized possession. Dwayne loved it more than he loved anything else; it was his greatest source of freedom while disguising himself among mortals. It could've been nothing more than a piece of trash given the way he leapt off it with a snarl and let it crash to the ground. The vampire placed himself between Tris and the offenders and grabbed the two by the collars of their shirts to lift them a foot off the ground.

David was beside him in less than a heartbeat, laying a restraining hand on his arm. "Dwayne, don't do anything you might regret."

Out the corner of his eye Dwayne could see David glance at Tris. Dwayne wasn't really paying attention to the blonde though, his focus was on the bikers and suddenly his massive frame began to tremble slightly with quiet fury. Dwayne gave an animalistic growl and adjusted his grip so he had the bikers by their throats; their mouths open to gasp for air like fish pulling from the water. Paul came up to the other side of Dwayne, raking his fingers through his tangle of blonde hair again.

"_You don't really want her to see this, do you?" _Paul asked telepathically.

"_He's right." _David came in._ "You really think she wants you like this? Marko's with her now and she's fine. You're overreacting." _

"_Overreacting?" _Dwayne turned to stare intently at David. _"If I was overreacting they'd be ripped limb from limb by now." _

"_Even still-"_

"Dwayne!" David was cut off by Tristan's sudden terrified outcry.

All three vampires turned their heads to look at her, none of them noticing the blade Warren still had in his head until it was buried three inches in Dwayne's right forearm. With an animal-like cry, Dwayne dropped the two to the ground where they crawled back coughing and gasping from air as they rubbed their throats. His fury only mounted and everything was tinted red as the vampire pulled the blade from his arm. He took two steps toward the two bikers when Paul and David held him back, their arms wrapped around his torso. Even with their combined and increased strength it was nearly impossible to hold the enraged vampire back and the two barely managed to keep him from wrapping his hands around the offenders' throats again and snapping their necks.

"_Dwayne, would you control yourself!" _David's normally calm voice was nearly frantic as his words echoed in Dwayne's head.

"_I'll kill the bastard. I swear I'll kill him."_ Dwayne lunged forward with a growl and managed to get in another two steps.

"What the hell are you just sitting there for?" Paul snapped at the two bikers. "You think were holding him back for our benefit?"

Warren and Sticky seemed to snap out of their terrified dazed and scrambled backwards until they got to their motorcycles. The roar of their motorcycles quickly faded away as they disappeared down the low-key end of Santa Carla.

"You bastard." Dwayne growled at Paul. "Let me do it. Let me go."

"Dwayne." The vampire stopped struggling when he heard Tris call his name and turned to look at her, the red clearing from his vision. She was leaning against Marko for support, studiously keeping the weight off her right ankle. "It's not worth it." She said as she shook her head.

Dwayne pulled out of Paul and David's grasp and went to her side. "I'm sorry." He said quickly. He couldn't bear the thought of her being frightened of him and tried to be as gentle as possible.

"Shut up." She said without malice as she took his injured arm in her hand to inspect the wound. "This looks really bad. We have to get you to the hospital and get you stitched up."

"You're really not upset at all?" Dwayne asked doubtfully.

"No, Dwayne, you lifting two people a foot off the ground simultaneously doesn't frighten me in the least." She replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Come on, man." Paul threw his arm over Dwayne's shoulders. "She said she's not upset so just roll with it."

"Where are your manners?" David said, returning to his calm, quiet manner as he lit a cigarette. "Didn't anyone tell you it's impolite not to introduce yourself?" He extended a hand toward Tris. "My name's David and this knucklehead is Paul. Dwayne's told us of you." Paul grinned and waved when David said his name.

"And I suppose Marko's already introduced himself." Paul laughed as Tris shook David's hand. "That guy's always first with the ladies."

"Yes." Tris answered as she shook David's hand and leaned on Dwayne to keep the weight off her ankle. "So Marko tells me that you are all brothers."

"In a twisted unorthodox sort of way." Marko answered with a smile.

"As fascinating as this conversation is, I'm going to have to interrupt." Dwayne cut in. "I'm taking you to the hospital to get checked out." He said as he picked Tris up in one arm so she wouldn't have to walk.

"Put me down. I can walk." Tristan protested.

"No, you can't." Dwayne laughed.

"I'll get your bike." Marko ran ahead of them to get the fallen motorcycle.

"Thanks." Dwayne said as he helped Tris on the back. "I'll meet you guys back at the cave."

"Yeah." David let out a long cloud of smoke as he spoke and gestured for the other two to follow him back to their bikes.

"Dwayne: the knight in shining armor." Paul joked, slapping Dwayne on the back as he passed by and winking jovially at Tris. "See you later, girl." She stuck her tongue out in reply which only made him laugh loudly.

"Goodnight, Tris. I hope your ankle feels better soon." Said Marko, waving when he walked pass and smiled as she waved back.

"I'm sorry." Tris muttered in his ears as they rode down the empty streets, not quite as fast as if he were by himself but fast enough to be considered reckless driving.

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong." A frown was set on his face as he thought of the bikers and his hands itched to wrap themselves around their throats.

"You got stabbed because of me." The arms she had wrapped around his torso tightened slightly.

"Better me than you." Dwayne replied. "You're obviously not well instructed in the ways of the boardwalk though." He laughed quietly. "That was Surf Nazi territory. What were you doing on that end of the boardwalk? It's complete trash."

"Surf Nazi? Like a gang or something? I was walking. What were _you _doing on that end? I know you and your brothers are a gang."

"I was looking for you." He answered honestly. "I was early and you weren't home so I had a feeling you were there." He slowed his bike to halt in the hospital parking lot and helped Tris off the back. He offered to get her a wheelchair but after she threatened him with bodily harm he ended up being her crutch and walking her to the door.

It was a simple thing to use his powers and get pass the nurses with no id or money. They were in and out in less than an hour.

"Two weeks. I have to stay at these things for two weeks." Tris grumbled under her breath as she walked out on a pair of crutches.

"It's not that bad." Dwayne said distractedly as he played with his stitches. Never having stitches before made them mildly fascinating and he held his arm up in the dim lamplight to get a better look at it. He would probably rip them off later seeing as he didn't need them and his arm should be fully healed in a couple of days.

"Stop playing with it." Tristan growled. "Next time you decide to play hero make sure you pay attention."

Dwayne looked at her with surprise and grinned. "You know I think it's really kind of cute when you get mad." The crutches clattered to the ground as he picked her up and swung her around.

"Stop it. Put me down." She laughed, her legs kicking in the air. As he slowed down she pressed her lips to his.

A shocking sensation ran down Dwayne's spine. Any thought that he had he couldn't remember nor could any new ones form. His mind was completely blank as he held her in his arms, staring at her with amazement. If there were any other thoughts about letting her go he couldn't remember them now. It seemed so absurd that those should have ever entered his mind he dismissed them immediately. She was his mate. She was his and he was hers.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Tris said breathlessly. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry. I mean we just met and—"

"Do it again." Dwayne interrupted her stammering apologizes and excuses.

"What?"

"Kiss me again." He laughed.

"You'd like that wouldn't you." She laughed as well and kissed again, longer this time.

"You know you're uncle's probably worried sick about you." Dwayne said when the kissed ended. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her all night long but he didn't want her to get in trouble either.

Tris slapped a hand against her forehead. "Shit. He's probably freaking out. I wouldn't be surprised if he's called the cops already."

"I'll take you home." Dwayne helped her on the back of the bike.

"Well I don't think I'll be walking there." She retorted sarcastically as she wrapped her arms around his torso once again. She pressed against Dwayne's bare back, feeling the muscle ripple beneath the skin with every move he made and she wonder how it was that she could love someone she barely knew so much.

* * *

AN- So I figure if I go with my original storyline then there's only one chapter left BUT if I go with this crazy angsty idea I just got then there will be two or three left. I won't tell you what I'm thinking of because that would be cheating. So original= fluff and some angst and new idea= some fluff and lots of angst. Vote now!!!


	4. Chapter 4

"Who the hell are you?" Tris's uncle exclaimed as soon as he opened the door and saw Dwayne. "And what the hell happened to you?" He asked looking at Tris.

"Hello, sir." Dwayne held out a hand for him to shake. He had to give the man credit, even though Dwayne was twice as broad and at least a head taller this man's didn't seemed fazed in the slightest. "My name's Dwayne."

"Tristan told me about you." Tris's uncle shook the vampire's hand with a skeptical stare. "Why don't you have a shirt on? Do proper dress codes not apply to you?"

"I'm wearing his jacket Charles." Tris said as she hobbled past him.

"Why the hell are you wearing his jacket?" Charles stared at her with hazel eyes through long light brown bangs.

"I gave it to her." Dwayne explained. "She was cold the last time we met and I couldn't just let her freeze."

Charles turned his gaze back to the vampire. "You still haven't told me what happened to my niece. What happened? Were you there? Were you involved?"

"Charles, stop pestering him." Tris yelled from the living room. "And don't make him stand there all night. Dwayne, come in."

Dwayne waited politely for the man to move aside thought had it been any other mortal he would've drained them dry and walked over their carcass. Charles moved aside to let Dwayne through and closed the door behind him.

"How long have you lived here?" Charles asked as the door clicked shut. "Are you involved in criminal activities?"

Tris glared at her uncle from her position of the couch. "Stop the interrogation and calm down. I was attacked and Dwayne came and rescued me."

"Attacked? And you want me to calm down." The man began pacing the floor of the living room, muttering curses, and stopped in front of Tris, kneeling so they were eyelevel and began talking to her in a low voice that no mortal could hear from Dwayne's distance.

Dwayne could hear what was being said if he wished but he felt to eavesdrop would be an invasion of their privacy and he respected Tris and her family too much to do that so he focused on the man's features instead. Charles had a thin almost aristocratic nose and high cheekbones which was probably where Tris got them from. His thick, long, brown hair fell around his ears and just above his eyes so that when he tilted his head forward even a miniscule bit to look at someone he looked at them through a curtain of hair.

"Well, I suppose thanks are in order." Charles stood and faced Dwayne, his jaw working with repressed anger.

Dwayne shook his head. "Please, I should have been there sooner then she wouldn't be hurt."

"Yes, Dwayne, heaped more guilt upon yourself." Tris sighed wearily. "You can't go back in time so stop beating yourself up over it. If you hadn't gotten there when you did I would probably be dead by now."

"In case you hadn't noticed; she gets cranky when it's past her bedtime." Charles said a loud stage whisper. Dwayne chuckled as the man dodge a couch cushion Tristan threw his way.

"Speaking of which," Dwayne said "I have to get going. I have work in the morning and there's some stuff I have to take care of. I'll come check on you tomorrow night, if that's alright."

"Of course." Tris yawned and stretched out along the length of the couch. "But don't forget your jacket."

"Keep it. Maybe it'll entice you to go out with something other than just a tank top." Smiling, he waved as she called out a sleepy goodnight.

Charles stopped Dwayne at the door out of Tris's earshot. "What exactly do you want from my niece?" He asked with a hard stare. No, being smaller didn't faze this man at all.

"Not what you're thinking of I can assure you. Tris…means a lot to me. You assuming that my thoughts are nothing more than of sexual desire truly offends me. If I was half the man you believe me to be then I would have already taken what I wanted and left but I haven't, have I? I respect your niece and I respect you. Please, do not lump me in with other lustful men my age. I am different from them by infinite degrees." Dwayne rarely said so many words in such a short amount of time that even he was slightly taken aback by it but the fact that Tris's uncle dare assume he wanted more than to fulfill a primitive lust struck him to the very center of his being. It was heartbreakingly maddening not having Tris know about him and have only his fellow vampires to share in his joy. He wanted to keep nothing from his mate but it was too soon to share such gory details of his life.

Charles leaned against the doorframe and looked up at Dwayne, eyes ablaze with fierce pride. "I pride myself on being a good judge of character. You come here with no shirt on as if you were some sort of vagabond but I think you're a good person. I just get the feeling you're doing something terribly wrong. All I say is don't get her mixed up in it." He pushed off the doorframe and extended a hand to Dwayne. "That being said, I don't see why we can't be friendly. After all, I suppose I'll be seeing a lot more of you."

"Yes, sir." Dwayne grinned in spite of himself, thrilled that he had been accepted into Charles's good graces. The grin still plastered on his face, the vampire threw his leg over his bike and gunned the engine to life.

He hadn't feed in days and he was beginning to feel the effects. A savage hunger gnawed at him, fraying his nerves so the grin slipped from his face and was replaced by an irritated frown. Instead of going straight to the cave he went to the boardwalk, hearing the muted heartbeat of every mortal still there like a multitude of drumbeats threatening to drive him mad with their un-syncopated rhythms. Without wasting time he lured a girl away from her post against the wall of a bookstore and, being soft-spoken and gentle, he led her to a deserted area. Holding her in his arms, he changed his features until he could feel the points of his fangs protrude from his lips and bit through the delicate skin of her neck to feel the blood flow into his mouth. The coppery taste was rich on his tongue and he sucked slowly to savor the taste, swallowing mouthful after mouthful until there was no more. Dwayne was gentle even still as he picked her up and moved her body to rest among a pile of crates so that someone was sure to find her later. He never told his brothers but he always felt uneasy when they treated the bodies of their kill so maliciously and handled them so carelessly. He believed their bodies should be handled with care and put in places for loved ones to find to put their troubled minds to some small amount of rest. The puncture wounds had to be concealed though so with a small murmur of apology he used his long fingernails to create a long, deep gash on her neck connecting the two wounds.

"_Dwayne, where are you?" _David voice exploded in his mind. _"I hope you have a safe place to stay because the sun is coming up fast."_

Dwayne looked up at the sky to see that it had lightened from its midnight blue to a lighter shade of blue. The feeding and the preparation of the body had sufficiently distracted him from remembering the time. Stray bits of paper leapt in the air behind as he took off in a gust of wind toward the safety of the cave. He loathed leaving his bike behind but there was no time to take it.

The blood he had so recently drunk fueled his heart so it beat more quickly than a vampire heart but far slower than any mortal's. He could hear it now, thudding inside of him, drowning out the sound of the wind whistling in his ears. He could feel the spray of the ocean on his skin as he flew lower than he usually would earlier in the night so when he got close he could fly directly into the opening without having to dive down and waste precious seconds.

He could see the opening in only a few minutes after taking off but by that point the sky was already turning pink and the sun's rays were just peaking out over the horizon. The sun scorched his skin of his bare back causing him to falter in the air and come scare inches of tumbling into the ocean to be tossed about like a ragdoll among the waves. With Herculean effort he kept himself airborne despite the scorching sun and came to a tumbling halt inside the sanctuary of his home.

"Holy shit!" Marko exclaimed. They were the last words Dwayne heard before he drifted off into oblivion.

He was caught in a whirlwind, tossed back and forth from memory to memory before he landed on one the eve of his death. It was as if he was reliving it. Every thought and feeling remembered in perfect detail; from the sensations on his skin to the scents assailing his nose. They weren't as noticeable as the sensations he had as a vampire but they were still very good. It was almost as if they had been muted.

* * *

The moon covered almost everything with a pale glow and threw everything else in shadow. Dwayne sat on the beach and tilted his head up to catch the scent of the ocean. His suit jacket lay beside him on the sand, the buttons of his black vest undone, and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up. A sort of melancholy feeling began to settle over him as he stretched his legs out before him and he felt the sudden urge to wade into the ocean and let the waves carry him out. The sudden onset and intensity to these feelings frightened him and he rose to his feet, picked up his jacket, and turned his back on the crashing waves and salty spray. He hadn't gone more than ten feet when he spotted another man, sprawled out among the sand with a hat covering his face. Dwayne tried to walk past unnoticed but the man took the hat from his face and smirked.

"Nice. isn't it?"

"Excuse me?" Dwayne replied, hanging his jacket on his left arm.

"The ocean. It's nice to get away from the noise of the city and have quiet every once in awhile." The man said sitting up and running his hand through his blonde hair.

"I suppose it is." Dwayne ran a hand absentmindedly over his own to make sure it was still slicked back in its proper place and examined the other's clothes. Unlike Dwayne he wore no vest, no jacket, and the shirt was a size to big and hastily tucked into his worn brown pants, the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. Everything about him screamed working class.

The blonde leapt to his feet and held out hand for Dwayne to shake. "My name is David."

Any other man in Dwayne's class would have looked down their noses at him and left but Dwayne knew what it was to come from the working class having just been integrated into the nouveau riche and took the hand offered. "Dwayne."

David clasped his hand firmly; his hands calloused and scarred, before releasing it to look out over the ocean once more, a small smirk present on his lips. "You're a working man."

"Once. How could you tell?"

"You wouldn't have shaken my hand otherwise." David stuffed his hands in his pockets and bowed his head as a particularly strong wind came in from the ocean to blew through them.

Dwayne shrugged a reply, hardly noticing the cold wind. He tilted his head up a bit so he could see the dim lights of his hotel a short distance away. "I should be leaving now. It was a pleasure to meet you."

David nodded in agreement, never taking his eyes off the water.

"You don't have anywhere to stay, do you?" The words were out before Dwayne even thought about it. Why such a question even slipped out was beyond him.

"Listen, you may have wormed your way into the nouveau riche but don't think that I'll take your petty sympathy handouts." David responded with a hard stare.

Dwayne shook his head slowly. "I'm in town for a few days and I was supposed to come with a friend be he took ill at the last moment. I've already booked a room for him though and it's too late to get a refund."

"So you were wondering if I'd take the room." David gave a brief quiet laugh as he pulled a cigarillo from his pocket and let it dangle from between his lips.

"No use letting the room go to waste."

David shrugged as he struck a match and put the flames to the end of the cigarillo, inhaling slowly and exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Sounds like a deal."

"Good."

The parlor of the hotel was still slightly crowded with people still in the process of getting their rooms and others just coming in.

"I'll buy you a glass." David said, touching Dwayne's arm with his fingertips briefly to get his attention as he gestured to another part of the hotel that was separated by a thick velvet curtain.

"That's not necessary." Dwayne shook his head, He didn't want the David to feel he owed him anything."

"I just got paid today. Too bad it couldn't come a day earlier." David laughed, leading the way to the hotel's saloon.

The curtains were soft beneath Dwayne's hand as he pushed part of it aside to pass through. It was louder in this room than the parlor and more dimly lit with only electric lamps on the walls to illuminate the room. And it reeked of alcohol.

They ordered their glasses quickly and left in under an hour. Dwayne handed David the key to his room and bid him goodnight before retiring to his own room, wondering what had possessed him ever make such an offer. With a shrug, Dwayne lay down among the feather pillows, the bed groaning under his weight. He was fast asleep in a matter a minutes.

It felt as though he hadn't been asleep longer than a few minutes before someone was pounding on his door. Groggily, he rose to his feet and frown when he realized he had fallen asleep in his day clothes. The frantic pounding continued and he could hear his name being shouted through the door. He leapt back quickly as the door was kicked down and stared up in horror at David."

"What the hell—"

"It's an earthquake you bloody idiot. Don't you feel it?" David yelled as he grabbed Dwayne's sleeve and pulled him from the room.

Now that it was said Dwayne realized what he had mistaken for post-sleep dizziness were actually tremors. He ran alongside David toward the stairs as the tremors became increasingly worse. He realized though that they would never make it all the way down seeing as their room was on the fourth floor and a feeling of despair washed over him before being replaced with a certain type of numbness that only comes when one knows it's pointless to try but he still continued to run.

"Dammit." David shouted when they get to the stairs only to find them broken and unstable. He looked back at the series of rooms and at some of the people coming out. "Can we jump?"

"If we want to get killed from jumping."

"Guess we're taking the stairs then." David pulled Dwayne along as he hopped down the splintered remains of the stairs.

There was another violent tremor and with a small cry the two fell through the stairs, the breaking and groaning of support beams echoing in their ears. The sound of wood splintering and people screaming were terribly loud to Dwayne and he wanted nothing more than for it to be over. A splintered beam struck him on the way down, hitting his head and causing him to black out. Before the darkness overcame him he could swear he saw a man with a thick set of glasses staring intently at him, oblivious to the chaos. Dwayne turned his head to look at David who had fallen beside him, a railing piece stuck in his side. There was nothing else.

* * *

_AN- I have to write the flashback scene in class so I haven't the time to read over it. Hope you enjoy..._


	5. Chapter 5

An explosion of pain greeted Dwayne when he finally started to come around. Opening one of his eyes just a crack he could see an electrical lamp flicker to life for a moment only to die and start the process over again a few seconds later. Dwayne felt much the same as he frequently floated in and out of consciousness for the next couple of hours. In his hours of consciousness he could hear groans, screams, shouts but could never fully make out what they were trying to say until he stared at the dying lamp and anchored himself to it, pulling him toward longer states of consciousness. After he had been conscious for more than a few minutes did he remember that there had been an earthquake. Dwayne lifted his head sharply when he remembered David had been with him in the chaos but a lightning bolt of pain shot down his spine and he put his head back down on the rubble, biting back a cry of pain.

He took a moment to assess his injuries before looking up again. He could see the fingers of his right hand excluding the thumb and index finger were either terribly crushed or bent at awkward angles. There was a large gash on his right forearm the exposed the muscle and bone. With his limited medical knowledge and the fact that he was surrounded by a rather alarming amount of his own blood he knew he wouldn't survive any more blood loss. With that knowledge brought into light it was as if a switch was turned and the pain that seemed to fill each and every corner of his body suddenly dwindle to something more bearable. Dwayne sunk the fingers of his left hand into the rubble and clawed his way forward, clenching his teeth and tried to ignore the searing pain that ran through him as he clawed his way from under a splintered beam that had bent his legs at such awkward angles. Through a sheer act of will power he kept crawling under and over, moving aside arms, legs, hands that had been severed and bit back the nausea that rose in his throat. His mind was set on one goal and that was to find David. If nothing else he would at least find David.

He could have been crawling for as long as an hour or as little as a minute, there was no concept of time or distance. Dwayne was on the verge of blacking out again and there came the knowledge that this time he would not wake up again. He still crawled on, using his only good hand to pull himself forward as his right arm dragged uselessly beside him. A strong arm wrapped itself around his torso, firmly but gently. It was so unexpected and sudden that Dwayne twisted in the grasp and lashed out with his right arm, crying out when the pain shot through his arm. Dwayne did manage to get a good look at the person though. It was the same man he had seen as he fell through the stairs, legs swinging from when he sat on a quickly failing support and a smile on his face that would put an incubus to shame even as his thick glasses flashing in the lamplight. This was the man that had sat so calmly as people fell and died and the building collapsed around him. Fear filled Dwayne's mind and he struggled feebly against the man holding him even though his vision grew dim around the edges and whenever he moved it felt as if he had to move through cement.

"You're going to die if you don't stop." The man whispered in Dwayne's ear, ignoring the pitiful hits to his chest and face. "I can help you just as I've help David."

"Where is he? David, where is he?" Dwayne stopped swinging to asked, his words slurring together until they were almost unintelligible. It wasn't as if Dwayne was friends with the man they'd only just met but he did feel some sense of responsibility for him.

"He's alright. He's mine now just as you well be as long as you don't fight. Trust me, it's so much better if you don't fight."

"What did you do to him?" Dwayne's body felt heavier and heavier until his head fell against the man's chest of its own accord.

"I've given him a chance to start again. I've made him my son and you will be his brother."

"You are a lunatic." Dwayne said but couldn't muster up any conviction with the words. His eyes began to drift closed but not before he saw the man's facial features change and his canines extended until they protruded from under his top lip. There was the sharp pain as the canines pierced through the skin of his neck and then he knew he died.

Dwayne's heart beat painfully in his chest and he turned on his side to let in great shuddering breaths in a vain attempt to still the painful beat.

"Look who's returned to the land of the undead."

Dwayne looked up to see Paul staring back, his usual grin was gone and was replaced with a worried frown. David was behind him, lounging in his wheelchair as he smoked a cigarette.

"And here I thought you'd forgot our little trip together." David turned his head in an almost lazy fashion so that he could look at Dwayne.

"You saw all that?" Dwayne held his head in his hands as he sat up for the whole room seemed to be spinning uncontrollably.

"Flashes of it." Paul answered. "Max really saved you?"

"He doesn't seem the type, does he?" David answered for Dwayne as he tossed the butt of his cigarette to the floor. He rose slowly to his feet and rolled out a kink in his shoulder before standing by the bed where Dwayne sat. He took off his gloves and ran his fingers gently over Dwayne's shoulder as he examined the remaining burns covering the broad back.

"How long have I been out?" The brunette asked, craning his neck to see the damage.

"Two weeks." David murmured as he lit another cigarette. "Your burns aren't fully healed yet but they should be give or take a few days. You're lucky you even survived."

Cradling his head in the palm of his hands, the vampire emitted a low groan. "Shit. Two weeks? Tris probably thinks I've abandoned her."

"Nah, man." The smile was back on Paul's face and the blonde sat himself down beside Dwayne. "I got this under control."

"As big of an irresponsible idiot he can be I have agree with him on this." David said as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. "He told her you had an accident at work and you'd be incapacitated for awhile. We've been hanging around with her, making sure she doesn't decide to take on an army next time."

Dwayne gave a sigh of relief and raked his finger through his hair. "Thank you. I should go see her now." As he stood the room spun again and he would have fallen if Paul and David hadn't held him upright. The wild-haired blond held the Blood Bottle under his nose and waited for Dwayne to take a drink before taking it back.

"I don't think you should go out." Paul tossed the bottle on the bed and ran a hand through his tangle of hair. "You're not exactly stable."

Before Dwayne could open his mouth to reply Marko flew in the cave, his mouth contorted in a grimace. His eyes widened a fraction when he saw Dwayne standing and he stepped a few feet back.

"It's good to see you up." Marko said with a nervous smile.

"What's wrong with you?" David asked, taking a long drag from the cig.

Marko stuffed his hands in his pockets and scuffed the ground with his shoe. "Let me start off by saying that it happened during the day so I couldn't have done anything."

"What happened?" Dwayne asked, fear building up in his chest making it difficult to breathe.

"I'm not exactly sure. As soon as it got dark enough I headed out to check on Tris and when I showed up there were police swarming the place. I heard that they found a guy in the house and that he was cut up pretty bad."

"What about Tris?" Dwayne took a step towards Marko, ignoring the fact the smaller vampire was backing away.

"She missing."

Dwayne made a sound somewhere between a growl and a cry of pure fury as Paul and David both uttered muted curses. Every muscle was posed like live wire and Dwayne's facial features changed without his meaning to.

"Dwayne, calm down." David said in a voice that sounded calm but underneath it was strained. His fingers tapped sporadically against his thigh as he watched Dwayne pace the length of the cave. "You can find her using whatever connection you have, can't you?"

Dwayne grabbed a fistful of hair only to release it a second later and growl again this time in frustration. "I can't feel anything. I've been out to long, it's too faint."

"But you do have something." Paul said helpfully.

"I can only tell that she's alive."

"Then that's something. We'll all start looking. Hell, we'll even get Max if we have to." David shed his jackets until he was only wearing his black shirt. "Well, come on boys." He yelled as he flew out the cave.

They decided splitting up would be better and divide all of Santa Carla into four sections. Dwayne stopped off at the hospital that Tristan's uncle was admitted to and bolted up stairs and down hallways to the man's room.

It never failed to amaze the vampire how much medicine had advanced since he was born. As soon as he entered the room his ears were assaulted by various beeping sounds. Machines surrounded Charles who lay wrapped in bandages.

"You look like shit." The man muttered as he turned his head to look at the vampire.

The statement was so unexpected and he was so full of frustration and worry that Dwayne couldn't help but give a brief laugh. "I could say the same to you. But, Charles, I need to know if you know anything about where Tris may be."

Something flashed behind the man's eyes. "She's gone? God, no." He moaned. "They took her."

"Who took her?"

"Do I look like I got these hitchhiking? Some thugs broke into our house, attacked me, and they must have taken her." The machine made a long monotone noise as Charles began pulling all the needles and such off his body.

Dwayne laid a restraining hand on his shoulder and gently forced him to lie back down. "I'll find her, don't worry."

"Yeah, I completely believe you. Get your hands off so I can find my niece." Charles struggled against the restraining hand, squirming to get free.

Dwayne couldn't get a word in with the man's constant stream of curses and, while he sympathized with him, he was wasting time that could be spent looking. He brought his face close to the man's until their noses almost touched and changed the color of his eyes so they were a fiery red, staring at the mortal with a frightening glare.

"Holy shit." Charles yelped as he leapt back, away from Dwayne. "What the hell?"

Dwayne changed his eyes back to their normal color and stepped back as a crew of nurses entered and fussed with the equipment, replacing needles in veins and bandages that had accidentally been ripped off in haste. "I'll find her." He said with no small amount of conviction.

AN- So it's come to my attention that some of you may not have understood the flashback so I'll explain. In the movie when David tells Michael about the hotel he says the "big one" hit Santa Carla around 85 years ago. The movie was made in 1987 (give or take a year) so that would pit the earthquake in the late Victorian era hence the reason for the suits and working class and such. I don't know much about the Victorian era so I really just drew on my steampunk knowledge so don't hate me if something sounds out of whack or something. So that explains that but if there's anything else any of you guys didn't get feel free to ask away and as always, I do hope you enjoy…


	6. Chapter 6

_AN- This is the product of two sleepless nights so let's see how well this turns out. Also I did drop the 'f-bomb' as some would coin it. Ugh and the amount of fluff I put at the end kind of makes me sick (I'm more of an angst person) but it fit as did the 'f-bomb'. And a huge thank you to all you wonderful people that reviewed and put it on story alert and all that great stuff._

Dwayne searched the boardwalk and the back roads to no avail; Tris was nowhere to be found. David, Marko, and Paul seemed to be having just as much luck as they scoured the richest neighborhoods to the dirtiest alleys for any sign of the girl. At this point frustration, fear, and anger were so enveloping that the vampire seemed to be wearing it like a second skin and a sudden panic rose in him at the thought that he may never find his mate and in turn would never rid himself of those god-awful feelings.

The brunette sat on the roof of a small bookstore, staring at the small sliver of moon as he angrily raked his hair back from his face. Tris was gone and he couldn't find her. Vaguely he wondered what would happen if she died. Surely he would feel it but what would he do? Would he throw himself into the burning glare of the sun or onto a sharpened length of wood jutting from the ground? It was torture, thinking of what Tristan could be going through at that very moment.

"You're letting your thoughts slip."

Dwayne spun around to see who had spoken and rose quickly to his feet. "Max, thank God you're here. I need your help."

"Judging by the spectacular burns on you back and everything Marko's told me I would say you need more than just my help, son." The older vampire removed his glasses to stuff them in his breast pocket.

"I've meant to tell you sooner but I've been preoccupied."

"And careless." Max added almost airily. "Alright, first things first. Go to the scene of the crime."

At those words it was as if something clicked inside of Dwayne and his lips were drawn in a thin line when he realized that he had been avoiding going to the house even though it could have held valuable information. He nodded mutely and followed Max up into the air. A feeling akin to nausea began rising in his throat as they drew near. They were so close to the cave that Dwayne wondered at how something like this could have happened. He should have been there. She shouldn't have been taken. Unsurpassable fury drove Dwayne faster until he landed in front of her house, knees bending to absorb the shock. Max landed beside him much more lightly and continued his way past the police tape, inside the house.

"Now, what do you smell?" Max asked slowly as he walked around the lower level, fingers sporadically lighting on objects.

The younger vampire inhaled slowly, shifting through the normal mortal smells for anything out of place. "I can hardly smell anything but the blood. It reeks of it."

Max examined a picture of Tris and her Uncle briefly and continued his examination in the kitchen. "That's your instincts taking over. Think about it, you know the smell of this family." Max's voice rang clear around the wall separating the kitchen and living room.

"It smells like oil and I can smell burning…rubber." Dwayne answered after inhaling a second time. "And—" Dwayne cursed viciously under his breath.

"Where are you going?" Max asked in a loud voice.

Dwayne didn't answer. He was filled with such a rage that he hardly heard him.

In the hours that could either be claimed as very late or very early, Dwayne flew low, unafraid of being caught. Most people that were still up were either druggies on their highs or runaway with no one to tell what they've seen. He made it to the far end of the boardwalk, the same area where Tris was attacked, before he was stopped by Paul.

"Whoa, man." Paul said, raking his hair back. "You can rest easy. I got an eye out for your girl."

"Obviously not since she can't be more than a mile from you." Dwayne growled.

Before Paul could question him Max flew in beside them. "Dwayne, calm down—"

"Calm down?" Dwayne repeated in a low voice colored with outrage. His face was contorted in a mask of absolute injustice. "I don't believe you understand the gravity of the situation, Max." He spat viciously. There was a sharp intake of breath from Paul but nothing else from his corner.

"Do _not_ talk to me that way, Dwayne. I am your father."

"Father?" Dwayne cried in disbelief and gave a short humorless bark of laughter. "You killed me. You made me this wretched bastard, feeding off humans and taking life so that I may live." There was a howl of wind and Dwayne snapped his head around to see David land beside Paul before turning to face Max.

The older vampire didn't react to David's arrival and instead glared at Dwayne with an icy stare. "You're free to end it at any time." He replied coldly.

"Max, you can't be serious." Paul gasped, his usual good cheer completely gone and replaced with morbid amazement.

"Fuck you." Dwayne growled to the older vampire, his shoulders tense with rage as he walked away.

Footsteps echoed behind him as he stalked off down the street and turned down an alleyway.

"Do you even know where you're going?" David's cool voice asked quietly, soothing Dwayne's frayed nerves somewhat.

"I have an idea." The brunette replied. "I went to her house and while I was there I smelled oil, burning rubber, and gas. The only thing I could think of was bike races."

"And Surf Nazis." David sniffed contemptuously. "Do you think it was the same ones that attacked her the first time?"

"It is quite possible."

They took a few turns down alleyways and back roads that hardly anyone used anymore, deeper into the Surf Nazi territory, before they heard the telltale squeal of tires and clamor of voices all yelling at once. The odor of gasoline was heavy in the air almost masking all other smells. The two vampires crept closer to the end of the alley so that they could see what was going on. As they expected, the Surf Nazis were holding their motorcycle races on one of the back roads and were using empty oil drums to drive back the dark. A crowd was gathered at the starting line, a group of about twenty Surf Nazis all drinking a variety of alcoholic beverages. Farther away from the main group stood three young men, lounging by a red convertible. Two of them were the ones that had attacked Tristan and the other was one the vampires recognized as the leader. He was a huge man, almost as large as Dwayne, with a square chin and a shock of white at the front of his jet black hair. Something stirred inside the car and Dwayne looked closer to see through the dirty window.

"It's her." He hissed under his breath.

"Wait a minute." David said quickly as he grabbed the brunette's forearm. "We can't just rush in. There are too many for us to kill and you know we can't have witnesses. We'd have to get Paul and Marco."

"We need a plan." Dwayne slid down the wall and rubbed his forehead wearily. He found that he couldn't think of anything but Tris.

"Fortunately," David grinned, his teeth flashing, "that's what I'm here for."

Tris strained against the handcuffs binding her wrists behind her back until they cut into her skin. After a few minutes she gave up with a frustrated growl and moved her shoulder to wipe the blood from the side of her face. Assholes. Men could be so violent but she conceded that had they not knocked her out there was a good chance she would've killed one if not both of them.

"Hey." She shouted, kicking the door of the car until a face showed in the dirty window.

"What?" The guy growled. She recognized him as the one named Warren from before and fury built up in her throat.

"It's hot as hell in here. Roll down a window or something, jackass." She said loudly to be heard.

Warren scowled but complied, opening the front door to roll down the window halfway. The door slammed closed with a muffled thud. With the window open Tris could now hear what they were saying.

"You guys are in for it." One guy told her kidnappers. He had a piece of white hair starting at his hairline and extending back to a point. She didn't recognize him. "And I'm not helping you on this one."

"I know they're the ones picking off our group." Warren retorted in a strained voice. "After our spat on the carousel five of us disappeared."

"You know it's not a coincidence." Sticky said to back up his friend.

"So you think that kidnapping's going to make it all better? How many do you think those Lost Boys will get now? You two are on your own. I won't have anything to do with this."

"They wouldn't dare touch us as long as we have their girl." Warren replied with a short laugh.

Tris rolled her eyes. "How long do you think you can keep me here, dumbass?"

Sticky slammed a hand on the roof of the car. "If you don't stop insulting us, I'm gonna put a gag on you."

"Put a hand near my mouth and I'll bite it off." She warned, glaring daggers at him. He glared back for a moment then looked away nervously.

"She's right." The guy with the white hair rubbed the knuckles of his grease-stained hand over his chin and sighed. "You guys are shit deep in this."

"Aw, come on, Danny." Sticky said as the guy walked away. "You have to help us man."

Warren groaned, cradled his head in his hands, and sank to the ground. "We're screwed, Sticky. That's for sure."

"No. We just have to use her as leverage and we'll be fine."

It was awful; being spoken of as if she was just a toy, shoved in the back of a car until she was needed. Now she was going to be used as leverage against Dwayne and his friends in a stupid gang war. Tris hated it. She refused to be used in a pathetic child's game and struggled vainly against the handcuffs once again. It was pointless, she already knew, and it was pointless to scream when there was no one around to help, they were too deep into the Surf Nazis territory. Tris let her head sink down onto the split leather seat of the convertible and breathed deeply, catching the faint sour scent of sweat, and tried not to cry.

She didn't realize she had drifted off until she woke and began coughing violently. Cracking her eyes open just a bit she could see thick black clouds rise in the air, some of it spilling through the open window causing her to cough violently on the fumes. Mustering as much of her strength as she could, she kicked at the door trying to get someone's attention. The door was opened only seconds after she began hollering for help but the thick clouds were making her eyes water so badly that she couldn't see who it was. They picked her up in strong arms and took her out the car, carrying her close to their chest. Tris buried her face in the soft material of their shirt to try and filter the air she breathed.

"Tris, it's David. I'm going to put you down and find the key. Don't worry you'll be fine, kid." He said as he put her down.

Tris nodded wearily, her head lolling forward until her chin was resting on her chest. She rested back against the side of a building, old and dilapidated. Blinking her eyes rapidly she could just make out shapes in the smoke. There was Dwayne's large frame holding someone by the throat and was that Paul? With his long hair like a pennant behind him. Then there was David with Marco beside him holding cans of gasoline above their heads and dousing everything with them. Fire was spreading rapidly, engulfing motorbikes and cars.

Tris looked for Dwayne again; he seemed to have disappeared. There he was. He had someone in a bear-like hug. The wind changed direction, clearing the clouds from Dwayne's form, and Tris could see his facial features were completely different and he had the fangs protruding from under his lip. The same fangs being driven through the neck of the person he had in his grip. Angrily, it seemed, he threw the body away and reached for another. When finished with that one he looked for another but David had an arm around him and was pointing in Tris's direction. Dwayne's face changed back to normal apart the look of pure agitation written on it.

Dwayne took something from David and clutched it tightly in his fist as he walked toward Tris, his hair whipping beside him.

"Tris, I was so worried." Dwayne breathed easily even though he was in the thick of the smoke longer than she had been. "Thank God you're ok." He took a set of keys from his hand to unlock the cuffs from her wrists.

Tris didn't respond. She rubbed her wrists vigorously and stared off at the fires a distance from them.

"Tris, talk to me. Are you hurt?" Dwayne asked quickly.

"I saw you." She murmured, still massaging her wrists.

Dwayne froze, his stomach clenching in fear. When he didn't respond she repeated herself.

"Why?" She asked, turning and staring at him with a hard glare. Without waiting for a response, she slapped him hard, her hand connecting with his cheek. "You asshole." She snared between clenched teeth.

He could have stopped the blow but he didn't. He let it come and felt a stabbing sensation in his chest when it connected. The vampire felt numb even as she pounded his chest feebly with her small fists and shouted curses with a ragged breath.

"You're a vampire. I should've known. I should've guessed. What was I? Just the next meal? Is that how you get your prey, you bastard?" She stopped pounding in Dwayne's chest to slump to the ground, fists in the dirt as she clenched her teeth to choke back the tears.

Dwayne sank to the ground in ground in front of her. "Tris, I—"

"Shut up." She cried. "If you're going to kill me then do it but no more lies. I can't take anymore lies from you."

"Tristan, would you stop interrupting for ten seconds and let me explain?" Dwayne said loudly as gas can exploded, threatening to drown out his words.

She looked up his him with red eyes. "Fine. What can you possibly explain that I don't know?"

"I can't love you. I shouldn't love you but I do. You are absolutely, without a doubt, meant for me. Yes, I am a vampire but I would never hurt you that way."

Tris looked at him suspiciously. "I wonder; does the blood taste better when the person's hopes have been shattered?"

The vampire dug the heels of his hands into his eyes until he saw stars and groaned softly. "What the hell can I say to make you believe that I'm sincere? Would I have spent all that time with you if you were just my 'next meal'? I wouldn't have wasted my time saving you from those two bastards that tried to hurt you. And do you think I would have bothered playing nice with your uncle? I could have killed him if I wanted to but I didn't simply because he's related to you."

Looking at him for a few moments, Tris broke into sobs. "I thought you were going to kill me and I couldn't stand it because I love you. I love you, Dwayne."

The vampire's whole frame trembled with relief as he took her in his arms. "I love you too. I love you so much and I was so afraid if you knew you would hate me."

"I couldn't hate you." She was still sobbing as she threw her arms around his neck.

"There one thing I have to ask from you." He said as he held her at arm's length.

"Anything." She wiped the tears from her cheek with her hand. Her chest heaving as she fought to control the ragged breathing.

"I can't lose you. I want you to stay with me and live forever. There's no easy way to do this. You have to become what I am, a vampire, and you have to kill." He said solemnly. He was holding her hands in his now, running his thumbs along her knuckles.

Tris took one hand away and used it to push the hair back from her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at him and said, "I will."

_Fin_


	7. Chapter 7

Hey people, I figured I'd come back to this godforsaken fic and let you know that for those of you that wanted a David fic it is now up but on my other account: j'adore macabre. Also any other Lost Boys fics I write will be put on that account. And last, but certainly not least, I am in the process of writing a sequel for _I Can't Love You_… I wonder how many of you will hate me for it o_O


End file.
